Thyme

I opened my eyes a fraction at a time, letting my eyes adjust to the brightness consuming my room. Boy, I wish I had better curtains. Drawing a deep breath as I rolled onto my back I stretched, cracking my back and toes. The covers tangled around my legs as I rolled over onto the floor, gasping as I landed on my back and had the air knocked from my lungs. I lay still, breathing deep before getting to my feet on the hardwood floor.
"That's what you get for sleeping on the couch." a voice says from behind me while I grab the blanket from the floor and toss it back on the couch. I turn to look as my best friend, Jacqueline Rose Chase. She looked like a model, tall and perfect, with long wavy blonde hair that fell just below her collar bone.
"Next time I'll remember to be selfish and let you take the couch Jacy." I say running my fingers through my short light brown, bed tangled curls that barely graze my chin. "Good morning."
"More like afternoon Thyme." Jacy says with a smirk as she leans against the doorway leading to the kitchen. "God, you sleep like a drugged person. I'm surprised you ever make it to school at all...that is when you don't ditch."
"Yeah, yeah. School is good for you... so is keeping you brain intact. But I graduated." I grumble and adjust the oversized T-shirt so it fell down to my knees where it should, instead of being twisted around my waist to reveal my boxers.
Jacy rolls her eyes at my mumbling and crosses the room. She smiled at me, her bright blue eyes meeting my green ones for a moment, hers were much more to look at if you ask me.
"So what do you need me to do?" Jacy asks softly, her face so close to mine I could feel her breath with every word she spoke.
"Ah... um... I... you could..." Itake a deep breath and back away until I can think again. "Tell me why you showed up yesterday nearly in tears?"
"Aiden and I had... a disagreement." Jacy says after seating herself on the couch and hugging my pillow to her chest. I watch her inhale the scent of my body and wish to God it was me instead.
"About?" I ask blankly, not daring to move because I know I want to hold her more then anything right this minute; and that was a no-no.
"You." Jacy says smoothing the pillow after returning it to the couch. She avoids looking at me as she continues, "he doesn't like how much time we spend together."
"Is that so? And why, pray tell, is that?" I question, my will breaking enough for me to sit on the coffee table in front of her. She glances at me, pushing her hair away from her face, trapping it behind her ears.
"I don't know... he wouldn't say anything else. Just that 'you need to get more friends'." Jacy says keeping her eyes on my face. I sit quietly for a while before replying.
"Well he can just go and screw himself into the nearest grave."
"Thyme!" Jacy says scolding outrage as I turn away from her and stomp into the kitchen without pause. I hear her follow, her bare feet making light padding sounds on the cold tiles. My hand freezes on the fridge as her arms wrap tightly around my waist and her body pressed along the line of mine. I feel my skin quiver at her touch and close my eyes trying to calm myself.
"I just don't understand how you can deal with all the shit that guy causes. Don't get me wrong, he is beautiful and smart, but it doesn't balance out in my mind." I say pulling away to open the fridge for food. I find a plate of last nights meal, steak, and start eating.